The 5 Best Cities For Starting A Business

A map
from WalletHub shows the best and worst cities for starting a
business.WalletHub

Looking to start a business? It's all about location, location,
location.

A new report from financial information site
WalletHub has the lowdown on the best cities
for starting a business. The analysis is based on 14
different metrics, including office space affordability, average
education of the local labor force, cost of living, and access to
financing.

Jacksonville, Fla., takes the
top spot, supported by the second-highest five-year small
business survival rate in America and a plentiful labor
force.

"Jacksonville’s high ranking as an entrepreneurial
destination mirrors expectations for strong growth throughout the
city’s economy in 2014, buoyed by hiring in the construction and
professional services industries, as well as a burgeoning startup
community," the WalletHub report says.

In general, southern cities outperformed those in every other
region. Florida and Georgia each have two cities in the top 10 —
Jacksonville and Cape Coral, and Augusta and Columbus — and the
Northeast doesn't even crack the list until No. 48, with
Rochester, N.Y.